Supporting Statement--0559

Supporting Statement for Form SSA-545

Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)

20 CFR 416.110(e), 416.1180-416.1182, & 416.1225-416.1227

OMB No. 0960-0559

A. Justification

1. Collection of the information requested on Form SSA-545 continues to be necessary so that the Social Security Administration (SSA) can evaluate, approve or disapprove proposed Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. Sections 1612(b)(4)(A), 1612(b)(4)(B) and 1613(a)(4) of the Social Security Act (the Act) authorize the Commissioner of Social Security to exclude such income or resources determined necessary to fulfill PASS(es) approved by the Commissioner. Regulations specifying the requirements for such plans are contained in 20 CFR, 416.1180-416.1182 and 416.1225-416.1227 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Section 1631(e) of the Act permits SSA to collect the information.

2. As originally enacted, the SSI program encourages recipients to return to work. A report accompanying the enacting legislation prepared by The House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, states that one of the objectives of the program is to provide "... incentives and opportunities for those able to work or to be rehabilitated that will enable them to escape from their dependent situations ...." The PASS provision is intended to encourage individuals to use available income and/or resources (such as business equipment, education or specialized training) to pay for those goods and services they would need to enter (or reenter) the workforce and become self-supporting. In turn, SSA does not count the income and/or resources used to fund a PASS when determining an individual's eligibility or payment amount. Continued use of Form SSA-545 ensures uniform collection of information needed to evaluate the individual's PASS, which, if successful, should result in the individual becoming more self-supporting and less dependent on SSI. The respondents are SSI recipients who are blind or disabled and want to develop a plan to go to work.

3. SSA collects the information on hardcopy Form SSA-545 for the sole purpose of determining whether an individual's PASS is feasible, whether the proposed expenditures are necessary, and prices are reasonable. Improved information technology that would reduce the burden is not currently available. Under the Government Paperwork Elimination Act plan, there is no scheduled internet implementation date for this collection instrument due to the low volume of respondents. SSA does not collect this information through any other electronic collection system.

4. SSA does not collect duplicate information and there is no other collection instrument used by SSA that collects data similar to that collected here.

5. The information SSA collects does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entitles.

6. If SSA did not collect the information on the SSA-545, then it would not have the
   information necessary to determine whether an individual's PASS is feasible and whether the expenditures are necessary, and prices are reasonable. If SSA collected this information less frequently, then SSA would not be able to reevaluate the PASS(es), and the system would not function as a cost-effective means. There are no technical or legal obstacles that prevent burden reduction.

7. This collection is consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.

8. The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice published on July 1, 2008 at 73 FR 37524, and SSA received no public comments. The second Notice published on September 17, 2008 at 73 FR 37524 and SSA received no public comments. There have been no outside consultations with members of the public.

9. SSA provides no payment or gifts to the respondents.

10. SSA protects and holds confidential the information is collects in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1306, 20 CFR 401 and 402. 5 U.S.C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974) and OMB Circular No. A-130.

11. SSA needs certain information of a personal nature, which may have a bearing on the feasibility of the PASS, in order to determine whether to approve a PASS. For example, information is needed about the person's disability and how the PASS will help with overcoming any resulting limitations, which might otherwise hinder employment (e.g., through the purchase of adaptive equipment or specialized training). Similarly, information pertaining to the individual's educational and vocational background is critical for the SSA evaluator to determine the feasibility of the plan and the need for the proposed expenditures.

12. Approximately 7,000 respondents use form SSA-545 annually. The estimated response time is 120 minutes for a total of 14,000 burden hours. The total burden is in burden hours, and there is no separate cost burden.

13. There is no known cost burden to the respondents.

14. The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $161,700. This estimate is a projection of the costs for printing and distributing the collection instrument and for collecting the information.

15. There are no changes in the public reporting burden.

16. SSA will not publish the results of the information collected.

17. OMB has granted SSA an exemption from the requirement that the expiration date for
    printing the OMB approval on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use
    forms, many of which have a life cycle longer than that of an OMB approval. SSA does
    not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms (e.g., on an annual basis). This
    exemption was granted so that SSA could continue to use otherwise useable editions of forms. In addition, we save money by not destroying stocks of forms because an outdated OMB expiration date.

18. SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5 CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

    2. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

SSA does not use statistical methods for this information collection.

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